


Revved Up

by confusednerdling



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-06-06 21:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15203969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/confusednerdling/pseuds/confusednerdling
Summary: Prompt: “All of them are street racers, even Jeremy. Wynonna has a charger r/t ( i saw one today and fell in love).”ORNicole Haught goes to Purgatory for a street race but ends up falling for the sister of the most famous street racer in Canada after a one-night stand.But by doing so, she has entangled herself in a world of drug dealers, blackmail, Earps, and, weirdly, romance.





	1. Chapter 1

Nicole steps into Shorty’s bar, smelling like gasoline and day old beer as it clings to her black leather jacket and tight jeans. She’s never spent much time in Purgatory. She’s never really spent much time anywhere, but there was an invitation, a message, secret and intriguing wedged in between her windshield and blade after her race in Calgary. It was brief. It was concise, and it told her to come here.

She was used to crypted messages by now. She got strange text messages and had to dig into deep, dark sites. It’s how she found her gigs, but this? This was the only paper trail she’s ever received, and she’d be lying if she didn’t say that the gun, wedged in the waistband of her jeans, was the only thing that was keeping her from bolting from this tiny, little town.

She looks around. Everyone here is a bit older than expected with long beards and dark eyes. These are the type of people who like adrenaline rippling through their veins. They were the people who were comfortable with being stagnant. Nicole couldn’t relate.

She walks up to the bar, and the bartender is cute. She’s young, pretty, long brown hair and big brown eyes that are sweet. Okay, she’s drop dead gorgeous, Nicole realizes as she slowly approaches. Those curves. Those biceps. Holy… Nicole really hoped she wasn’t drooling.

“What can I get you?” the cute bartender says, leaning over the bar a little so that her shirt reveals – Nicole blushes madly and forces her eyes up.

“A beer and whoever wrote me this note,” Nicole flashes the paper.

The bartender’s eyes widen. “Ooh, you’re her, aren’t you? You’re Haught,” Nicole nods, and, at the confirmation, the bartender quickly fishes in her pocket for something and pulls out another note, written on a Jack of Spades card from a playing deck. “Here, rookie, it’s the location of the race,”

Nicole reads it carefully before tucking it away. “Come on. We can all use some fresh blood,” Nicole says. She sits down on the bar stool. It’s sticky, but she ignores it. “What’s a big race doing in such a small town?”

“Well,” the bartender smiles shyly. “There’s nothing to do, first off. Quiet town, like this, can let us make a lot of noise. And secondly, this is Earp land,”

“Shit,” Nicole laughs. She can’t believe her luck. Just a few races and she got the attention of the Earps’. She doesn’t know what to do with that information. Should she feel excited? Scared? “So, the invitation was sent by – “

“Wynonna Earp. She saw you race back in The States,”

“Shit,” Nicole says again, because she doesn’t know what else to say. All she can feel is buzzing of excitement, of uncertainty, of nerves within her.

“You look nervous,”

“Should I not be?”

The bartender says nothing. Instead, she pulls out some shot glasses. “I’m going to take the liberty to switch your beer to some shots,”

“Good call,” And against Nicole’s better judgement, she gives a smile that just oozes charm. “Care to drink with me?”

 

The bartender smiles but she doesn’t move.

“Oh, come on,” Nicole says. “I don’t bite. Well, unless, you want me to,”

The bartender laughs, and Nicole does a silent prayer. She doesn’t how flirting like that would go over in a small town like this.

“You think your hot stuff, huh?” the bartender smiles, clearly finding Nicole endearing.

Nicole just shrugs. It’s a poor attempt to look humble, but the bartender laughs again. And Nicole swears she could die listening to that sound, that beautiful, beautiful sound.

The bartender switches sides, moving from behind the bar to the seat beside Nicole, ignoring the wolf-whistles and the ogling men. Her eyes are on Nicole, hips sways, hair bouncing, and Nicole takes a shot just before the bartender can sit to soothe her nerves.

“So, Haught, street racing? How did that happen? I mean, no offense, but you look like you could be a cop,”

“Hm, really?” Nicole says with a breezy laugh. “I’ve never heard that before,”

“It’s the eyes,” the bartender shrugs. She picks up one of the shot glasses. “Bottoms up!” And she takes it like a pro, not even flinching as the burn of alcohol tears up her throat. Nicole doesn’t have the same nonchalant reaction. She shivers and pulls the most unattractive face as the vodka hits her lips.

“You don’t drink a lot, do you, Haught?”

“Nicole,” Nicole corrects. “If we’re going to drink together, you should know my first name,”

“Hm. Nicole. Cute,” the bartender says. And the way she’s looking at Nicole as a wave of red and heat spreading across Nicole’s pale face. Something tells her this attraction isn’t exactly one-sided.

“So, since you know mine, do I get the pleasure of knowing your name?”

The bartender purses her lips together for a long moment as she thinks it over. “No, I think names will ruin this,”

Nicole takes another shot and pretends she doesn’t realize her face is as red as her hair.

“I like being anonymous,” the bartender says with a weird look in her eyes. “In a place like Purgatory, everyone gets so wrapped up in names, in reputations, in stories, but you don’t know anything about me. I don’t know anything about you except you’re a lightweight and you’re a street racer. Isn’t that exciting? The possibilities. The uncertainty,” Her small fingers brush against Nicole’s upper arm and a shiver runs down Nicole’s spine. “More shots?”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

The bartender hesitates a moment as she leans over to pull the vodka bottle from the other side of the bar. “Yeah,” she says. “Is that a problem?”

“It would be if you weren’t so cute,”

The bartender laughs, and it’s the most melodious noise Nicole has ever heard.

 

 

Nicole wakes up, and everything hurts. She blinks, bleary eyed. The whole world is far too loud, far too bright. She looks around as she wipes her eyes trying to get the sleep out of her brown eyes. There’s something…unfamiliar about this room. She lowers herself back into bed, and that’s when she realizes she isn’t alone.

She looks over, and there’s a beautiful, very naked woman.

“Shit,” Nicole whispers in shock. “Oh my – “ But she doesn’t get to finish that sentence, because she falls out of bed. Hard. Now, everything really does hurt.

The woman stirs and pops her head up to check on Nicole who’s laying on the ground, naked and blushing.

“You okay?” the woman asks. It’s the bartender. Oh shit. The night is coming back. The flirting. The touching. The drinking. The sex.

“Uh, yeah,” Nicole says in a failed attempt to be smooth. “Yeah. Yeah,”

The bartender smiles warmly. “You want to get back in bed?”

And it’s that smile that eases the anxious fluttering in Nicole’s chest. “Uh, yes. Yes, please,” She stands up and carefully hides her body under the large white comforter. She looks over at the bartender, at her brown hair, at her beautiful skin, at her brown eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” Nicole blurts out.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” the woman teases, and she leans forward, and their lips meet. And sure, they haven’t brushed their teeth after a night of drinking and fun, but Nicole doesn’t care because she’s kissing an angel and hands are roaming around her bare skin and she feels like she’s on fire.

They part for a second, just to catch their breaths, and Nicole gets lost in those brown eyes. “I still don’t know your name,” she says softly.

“Oh,” the bartender laughs. “I forgot that I didn’t tell you. It’s – “ A door slams open downstairs. They both hear it and stiffen. “Shit. That’s my sister,”

“You live with your sister?”

“Yes. Okay,” The woman jumps up and quickly starts rooting through the clothes on the ground. “Here!” She tosses Nicole’s flannel at her. It hits her in the face, but Nicole catches it and throws it over her head. “Here! Here! Get dressed!” Nicole ducks as her leather jacket is flung at her but changes quickly as the bartender peeks out the door.

“Okay. What do you want me – “

“Get in the closet!” the bartender squeaks.

“Well, that’s a little on the nose, isn’t it?”

But by the unamused look in the woman’s eyes, Nicole sighs, grabs her bra from off the floor, and with her jeans still hanging down to her knees, she stumbles and throws herself in the closet just in time as the woman’s bedroom is bombarded by another woman. Nicole can’t see anything in the closet, but can she hear as the older woman shouts out.

“Big race tonight, baby sis and – Whoa! Where are your clothes?”

“I’m getting dressed! Just go! Go! I’ll be down in a second!”

“Will you make waffles?”

“Yes! Yes! Oh my God! Just go! I’m naked here!”

The door shuts as the bartender’s sister shouts something out that Nicole can’t make out, but it doesn’t matter because the closet door is being flung open and the bartender is staring at Nicole with huge brown eyes.

“I’m so sorry!”

“No. It’s okay. I get it,” Nicole says, because she does get it. She was closeted once and being in a small town like this must not help.

“Listen, my sister can not see you. Or she’ll kill you,”

“Geez,” Nicole pipes up. “She’s that homophobic?”

“What? No. No,” the bartender shakes her head. “She’s just super protective and she’ll mistake you for a robber or a spy. She shot my boyfriend once. It was a lot,”

“Boyfriend. I’ve had one of those. It was the worst,” Nicole nods sympathetically. She looks around. “Well, then. What am I supposed to do?”

“Ever go out a window and shimmy down a drain pipe?”

Nicole’s mouth drops. “You’re going to be the death of me,”

 

 

Nicole shows up with her tuned-up Chevy Corvette. She rubs her fingers along the hood of the car as she walks out and leans against it. The energy tonight is electric. Purgatory really is the perfect place for a race. It’s long, windy, dusty roads are both challenging and empty like the whole town had gone to sleep. There’s a crowd out tonight. And with the stars shinning down on them and all the cars out with engines revving and lights on, and people cheering, and people drinking, it really feels like tonight might be Nicole’s night. But then, two cars pull up right beside Nicole’s, and her mouth drops. There’s a Dodge Charger R/T and a Nissan GT-R that’s been modified, and two women step out. The first is dark hair, dark edges, dark jacket, dark eyes, and Nicole’s breath catches when she sees her.

“You came,” the woman says. “Wynonna. Wynonna Earp,” she extends a hand, and Nicole takes it.

“Nicole Haught. Thanks for the invite. Purgatory is…charming,” Her mind flickers to last night.

“And she’s – “ Wynonna points to someone behind Nicole. “ – my baby sister, Waverly Earp. She’ll be racing with us tonight. She’s a natural,”

“Oh,” Nicole turns around, and… Well, her brain seems to stop working, because the person who’s supposed to be Waverly Earp is Nicole’s one-night-stand, is Nicole’s lovely bartender, is Nicole’s current fascination, is the girl Nicole can’t stop thinking about.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Waverly says before Nicole can stutter and stare any long. She shakes Nicole’s hand vigorously with a strained smile.

“Let’s just hope you can keep up with us, you flat-footed rookie, alright?” Wynonna laughs. She wraps Nicole up in a one-arm hug and shakes her around, but Nicole can’t focus on anything but Waverly.

“Come on,” Wynonna lets go and steers Nicole around. “This man is Xavier Dolls,”

“The Deputy Marshal,” Nicole remembers from the stories. It was strange that a man of the law also partook in such…unlawful activities. “You still on the force?”

“We all have hobbies,” Dolls shrugs, but he shakes Nicole’s hand. His car is just as impressive, and it’s lined up beside Wynonna’s.

“And here’s Doc, also known around as the – “

“The Cowboy,” Nicole smiles. “I remember I beat his ass back down in The States,”

Doc Holliday lowers his dark hat and presses it to his chest. His blue eyes twinkle. “Well, it’s a pleasure to race against you once more, Miss Haught. Hopefully, Lady Luck places me in her favor,”

“Today isn’t about luck. It’s about skill,” Nicole says and everyone grins.

“And this is Jeremy. He’s new too,”

Jeremy honestly looked like he didn’t belong at this scene, but he steps forward with his hands on his hips and a big smile.

“I did all the work on this baby myself,” he boasts. “And all the work on his car, and his car car, and her car,” His finger flies from Doc to Dolls to Wynonna and they all grin.

“What can I say? Kids real good. Hell, if you win, I might let him look at your car. See if he can help you out with anything,” Wynonna says, and Nicole is instantly smitten.

The conversation changes quickly. Nicole’s not sure who says it but suddenly everyone is talking and Nicole is standing there awkwardly. 

“Uh, Nicole,”

She feels someone tug on the hem of her flannel shirt, and when she looks around, it Waverly. She’s still in her Shorty’s barmaid shirt with the low V-cut tied to make a crop top and the tight jeans, and she’s still gorgeous and beautiful and looking at her like Nicole was that beautiful too.

“Waverly,” Nicole says softly, trying out the name. It’s nice. It feels nice.

“Can we talk for a real quick second?”

Doc, Dolls, and Wynonna have already begun yelling loudly. Something about a bet between them. Nicole wasn’t too into the conversation to remember the specifics, so she has no problem ditching the conversation. She nods and follows Waverly to a more secluded portion.

“You should have told me who you were,” Nicole says.

“I know. It was just fun not to,” Waverly looks down. “Would you have… Would you have still slept with me if you had known?”

“Yes. If you still wanted to,”

“So, you don’t mind that I’m an Earp?”

“I would have liked a heads-up that I had slept with the sister of one of the most famous street racers in Canada or that I had just slept with someone who was actively participating in the very same race,”

“Well, I just couldn’t sit this one out,” Waverly says with a smug smile, and Nicole’s long legs feel weak just at the sight of it. “Couldn’t exactly put a car this beautiful to waste,”

The air is still electric, is still crackling, but now it’s harder to ignore it. The tension is thick and palpable, and Nicole is choking on it, because all she wants to do is tear apart that damn crop top. And Waverly’s looking at her like she’s three seconds away from undoing Nicole’s jeans.

Waverly swallows thickly. “You better survive this race, because I would very much like to sleep with you again,”

Nicole laughs at her wording but nods. “Just don’t get too upset when you lose,”

“I am not going to lose!” Waverly yelps. “You heard Wynonna, racing is in my blood!”

“And to think, you were calling me a rookie earlier,”

Waverly shoves her playfully, but her hands are on the lapels of Nicole’s jacket still and Waverly’s no longer laughing but looking up at Nicole, breathing heavy, and Nicole is frozen, looking down, feeling Waverly’s tight grip. And there’s a thousand things going on in her head. And the tension is thicker. And it’s harder to fight it. And Waverly is standing on her tiptoes and her lips are on Nicole’s and they’re kissing, passionately, and everything calms down for a moment. For a moment, it’s just them.

But then, a car honks and the two jump apart and spin around, and Wynonna’s head is sticking out of her car. “COME ON, HAUGHT! GET IN THE CAR! SO WE CAN START THIS RACE AND I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!”

Nicole looks like a deer in headlights. “So when you said she shot your last boyfriend, did she – “

“She really shot my last boyfriend,” Waverly squeaks. The two stare at each other for a long moment before Waverly forces a smile. “Well, good luck!”

“Uh, Waverly? Waverly?” Nicole yelps, but Waverly’s walking towards her car, and Nicole is left standing with the taste of Waverly on her lips, a race about to start, and no idea what she had gotten herself into.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s late. The air smells like snow. And Nicole is laying, naked, beside Waverly. The race had finished quickly. It was a tough one. Unfamiliar to the roads of Purgatory, Wynonna and her crew were able to drive them, knowing full well where every turn was, every bump, everything. Nicole struggled. But she managed to get fourth. And for a rookie, that wasn’t too bad, but Nicole wanted to be better. Nicole wanted to be good. She wanted to impress Wynonna.

She sighs, pushing her red hair back as the moon leaks through the window, letting her skin glow. There’s a beautiful girl beside her. Beautiful. Waverly. Her long hair is spread all over, and the moon doesn’t reach her. Its light doesn’t touch her. Nicole sits up and looks around. There are pictures pinned in the mirror and there’s Wynonna and another brunette, and there’s old toys around from childhood, and old leather-bound books and textbooks. Nicole’s eyes jump to the window. For some reason, she expected herself to miss the city. The business. The lights. The roaring of cars. Everything, but it’s only been a few days and Purgatory seems to have a nice vibe to it. She could get used to a place like this. She looks at Waverly. And there’s a sad part of her that knows this won’t last. This is meaningless. This isn’t real. It’s fleeting. She wishes it wasn’t. She wishes it was forever, it was real, it was everything. But she knows it isn’t. She knows in a few days she’ll be in a new city with a new fling with a new race. And she knows Waverly will still be on her mind.

Wynonna didn’t say anything when the race was done, but Nicole knew she had disappointed her. Maybe she disappointed Wynonna by making out and sleeping with her sister. Maybe she disappointed Wynonna by coming fourth.

Waverly quickly distracted her though. She rushed forward, grabbing the lapels of her leather jacket, and she moved forward to kiss Nicole and Nicole melted in her hands, but their lips never met. They never met. Waverly just stared at Nicole with a mischievous glint in her eyes, and with her lips barely a centimeter away from Nicole’s, she whispered, “My place. Ten. Be there,” And then, she was gone, laughing and hugging Jeremy and playing around.

Nicole just looked around. Nobody was looking at her. Nobody needed her. So when the crowds began to move toward Wynonna and Waverly and Doc and Dolls and their whole crew, Nicole hopped in her car and took off.

But, now she was back here. This felt good. This felt right. But it wasn’t real. It was fleeting. She had to remember that before she got hurt.

She threw a hoodie over her body and pulled up a pair of sweatpants, which were Waverly’s and were embarrassingly tight and small, but she was too lazy to change. She pads down to the kitchen for a glass of water.

But she freezes, because there’s a woman in the dark, waiting for her. A woman with dark hair like a mare. And eyes, scary and old beyond their years.

“Wynonna,” she croaks.

“Haught,”

“You didn’t kick my ass after the race,”

“Figured you’d be back here,”

There’s silence for a long moment.

“Come on, Haught,” Wynonna stands up.

“What are you – “

“Come on, Haught,” And Nicole realizes it isn’t a suggestion. There’s a gun in Wynonna’s hand and Nicole nods. They walk quietly out into the snow. Nicole’s bare feet crunch against snow.

“In the car,” Wynonna orders, still gripping the gun.

“Right,” Nicole swallows thickly. She pulls the Dodge Charger R/T’s car door open and slides in. She always wanted to try one of these out, but certainly not as a hostage. Wynonna walks around and slides into the driver’s seat.

“Where are we going?”

“Oh. A little ride,”

\---

Wynonna drives recklessly. She drives like she doesn’t want to ever get out of the car. Like she wants to die in a fiery car crash. Like she doesn’t have a care in the world. And Nicole wonders if that’s why she’s the best. Because every race, every time she steps in the car, she doesn’t care what’s going to happen to her when she gets out.

Wynonna keeps the gun in her right hand and drives, cutting through the dirt roads that lead to the salt mines.

“Will you tell me where we’re going?”

“So when did you start fucking my sister? Before or after the race?”

“Oh,” Nicole swallows thickly. “Uh, before,”

“Wrong answer,”

“It’s the only answer,”

“See! I thought we could be friends! I thought we were alike!”

“Your sister is a grown woman who – “

“You don’t sleep with another man’s sister! What if I slept with your brother?”

“I don’t have a brother!”

“Your sister!”

“She’s married,”

“Fine! Your mom!”

“Homophobic and kicked me out pretty young,”

“God, is there any family member of yours I could fuck?”

“My grandpa,” Nicole says. “But he’s in hospice. And I think it might be tricky with the oxygen mask and the feeding tube and the paralysis, but – “

“You’re disgusting,” Wynonna says, but she’s smiling that smug smile. Nicole can read Wynonna like a book. Wynonna likes this. She gets off on this. She likes quippy language, clever people, people who keep her on her toes.

“So that’s why we’re going out. You’re going to take me out back and shoot me for sleeping with your sister?”

“No,” Wynonna says in a surly tone. “No, because you ruined it. I was going to sleep with your grandfather. That was the big surprise, but the oxygen mask is a deal-breaker,”

“Where are we going, Wynonna?”

“Just shut the fuck up for a minute, Haught. God, you’re so annoying. Can’t a girl kidnap another girl without the third degree?”

Nicole slumps down in her seat.

\---

They drive for hours. They drive and drive. And Nicole nearly falls into a deep sleep. She feels it tugging at her. It’s tugging at her as she leans her head against the glass. But she can’t sleep, because Wynonna is holding a gun and the car is going over eighty and Nicole’s heart is beating out of her chest so she can’t sleep. Even if she wants to. She can’t sleep.

\---

They finally pull into a parking lot, and Wynonna hops out. “Come on, Haught,”

Nicole blinks and pokes her head out. “Pussy Willows? You kidnapped me and brought me to a strip club?”

“Come on,” Wynonna rolls her eyes. “It’s every lesbians fantasy – naked woman and no social interaction. Come on. Up and at ‘em, Red,”

“What are we doing here?” Nicole says. She ducks her head out of the car and glares at Wynonna. And really, she’s annoyed rather than worried. “Can you put the damn gun away?”

“Oh shit. Right,” Wynonna tucks her gun in her waistband and shrugs. “Look, I’m sorry I had to threaten you to get here, but you caught someone’s attention,” And she doesn’t sound like she did before. Full of energy and recklessness and fire. She sounds softer, more timid, more reserved.

“Who?” Nicole asks.

Wynonna looks at the strip joint. “You know how I said you never fuck a friend’s sister?”

“Yeah,”

“Well, rule two is always have your friend’s back. Okay? When we go in there, I got yours if you got mine,”

“Okay,” Nicole says. And she’s got a weird feeling in her stomach, because sure, she’s heard stories, she always wanted to meet this girl, but now that this human being of chaos and whiskey is in front of her, she’s still a stranger. Nicole blinks owlishly. “But since when are we friends?”

“Do you want me to shoot you, Haught? Is that what this is? You come all over to shitty ass Purgatory, so you can get shot and die in a strip club’s parking lot? Is that your heroic end?”

“I came here because I’m a dumbass and I got a note and I thought it would be fun and a chance to meet you. But turns out you’re an asshole,” Nicole grumbles.

“Did you come to that realization before or after you fucked my sister?”

“Can you stop saying that? God, Waverly and I had consensual, drunken sex! She’s a grown ass woman and she had sex with me!” Nicole shouts. And she doesn’t care that a few people just whirled around to stare at them. She doesn’t care that the world just heard it. She doesn’t care, because Wynonna is being a pain in the ass. “Look! I get your protective. Okay? I’d be protective too, but shut the Hell up about this!”

Wynonna looks at her for a long moment and then breaks into a large smile. “I wish you could see your face. It’s ridiculous,”

“What?”

“You're really going to make me spell this out for you? Alright, Haught, read my lips - _I was just messing with you._ I know you didn’t like take advantage or whatever. I know my sister slept with you cause she wanted to sleep with you. She can do whatever the Hell she wants. Okay?” Wynonna says. She rolls her eyes. “I’m just pulling you leg. I saw you race, kid. You’re good. You can go places, but you got someone’s attention other than mine and he wants to meet with you,” She looks at the building.

And Nicole wants to scream, because of course, Wynonna was just fucking with her. Just to see her squirm. Just to get her here. Just to piss her off. Just to see her face. And Nicole wants to scream, but she doesn’t. She grits her teeth. “Why me?”

“Because, I wasn’t the only one who saw potential that day,” Wynonna’s face looks grave. “Come on. It’s best not keep him waiting,”

\---

Pussy Willows was your average-looking strip club. Women were all over Nicole immediately, running their fingers along her as she passed by. Nicole was beet red by the time they made it to the back office.

“Should I be scared?” Nicole asks. Her eyes instinctively jump to the gun that’s still sticking out of Wynonna’s pants.

But Wynonna doesn’t say anything. She pushes the door open. “Nicole Haught’s here,”

“Ah, lookie, lookie. It's the pretty redhead racer from The States,”

Nicole is taken aback by this person. Dark beard with white sides. Hair long and thick salt and peppered. Thick fur coat.

“Bobo Del Rey,” he introduces himself. “Sit. We have a lot to talk about,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Here’s the thing. You guys wanted more so I sat down. And I read a bunch of articles, and I watched a couple videos, and then I’m watxhing two seasons of the mafia-show Claws (which is really good), and suddenly I’m writing fourty-four pages of this AU. It was a lot of fun.
> 
> This fic might not be what you guys wanted when you asked for more. And this might dissapoint you. I always get scared when I write multi-chaps. I’m scared because I made a plot, I made chapters, and I worry you all won’t like it.
> 
> Sorry. This is rant-y. My point is: this fic is a wild ride and I get if you’re dissapointed and don’t like it. I’m sorry, but I really tried my best. And that’s all I can really say. 
> 
> But if you have a prompt or thoughts, please hit me up on gayywords. I’m running low on prompts and I need something to do. Thanks for reading and putting up with me. <3


	3. Chapter 3

Bobo Del Rey sat, spinning around bourbon in his beautiful glass. “Care for a lap dance, Haught?”

“From you? Not interested,” Nicole scoffs.

Bobo’s eyes darken. “Funny,” but he doesn’t sound amused in the slightest. “Wynonna, get Haught here someone cute,”

Wynonna has been standing in the back, looking uncomfortable and stoic. And this all feels wrong. It feels wrong. Because Nicole’s heard stories of the Earps. Famed racers who don’t care, who live their lives, who make a shit ton of cash, who run with a crew who also race. And Nicole’s met the crew. And Nicole’s met Wynonna, fiery and dark and full to the brim of nightmares and alcohol. And Nicole’s met Waverly, light and sweet and sunshine in the day and quick and clever and mischievous in the night. But she never heard of Bobo Del Rey. She never heard of the leash tightened around Wynonna’s neck that Bobo seems to be holding rather tightly. She’s never heard of a man in furs with women and drugs surrounding him like he’s some king high above.

“I’m good,” Nicole interjects. “I’m good,”

“Fine. Suit yourself,”

Nicole grits her teeth. She hates how this man treats women like accessories, like their just another gold necklace wrapped around his beefy throat. She hates how this man sits there with eyes that are just picking her apart. She hates this man.

“Why am I here?” Nicole asks.

“I’m a business man, first. Above all. I see an opportunity and I take it. I saw one in a girl by the name of Aphrodite, and I took it. Look at her now,” Bobo’s eyes jumped to Wynonna, but Wynonna looks like she’s seconds from wringing his neck. His eyes move down to Nicole slowly and maliciously. “And now, I see an opportunity in you. There’s not a lot of cash in the back account of yours,”

“You don’t know – “

“Kicked out young. Started racing even younger. The car of yours is a hand-me-down that you fixed up when you were in your daddy’s garage, but now daddy is gone and so is his money. All your funds come from winning races, and you’ve done well, but not well enough. That city apartment is small but draining,”

Nicole really hated this man.

Bobo sits there like he knows her. And she hates it.

“You’re running on fumes, Haught. Soon, you’ll be living on the streets again. But I would hate to see that,”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Nicole can’t help but roll her eyes. She really, really, fucked hated this man.

“But I’m looking for more…staff. A tit for tat sort of deal,”

“Nicole is very familiar with tits,” Wynonna mumbles to herself.

Bobo gives Wynonna a sort of stare that says a thousand different things. He looks down at Nicole, his gaze hardening. “You do a job for me. I’ll get you a new car,”

“Not interested,”

“A car that will make sure you stop getting fourth and start getting first,” Bobo continues. “And, have I mentioned the money yet? Five thousand dollars,”

And Nicole wished she could be snappy and say not interested again, but truth was some of things Bobo said were right. Her bank account was nearly empty. Jumping from race to race to try and keep funds up for food and shit wasn’t exactly letting her live a comfortable life style. Five thousand. She could do good with money like that. It wasn't enough. But it was something.

“What kind of job?”

“Deliver something for me,”

“Drugs?”

“Maybe,” Bobo shrugs. “Maybe not. But I don’t need questions. I need someone fast,”

“Why not, Wynonna, here?”

“Wynonna is already on my meal ticket. I’m interested in new players. I like a diverse portfolio,” Bobo says.

Nicole stands up. “Thanks, but no thanks,” She says. She walks to the door, but Bobo is fast. He grabs her shoulder, golden gun out and pointed at her abdomen, and Wynonna has her gun out too. But it isn’t pointed at Nicole. It’s at Bobo’s head.

“Let her go, _Robert_ ,” Wynonna grunts.

But Bobo doesn’t care. “Ever heard of a little someone called…Shae?”

Nicole goes rigid.

“You do this. And she doesn’t get hurt,”

“You’re fucking blackmailing me?”

“I need you, Nicole,”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re new, and I need fresh blood. No criminal record. Someone fast. Someone cute. Someone unrecognizable. Someone like you on my staff,” Bobo sneers. “And hey, new car, new cash inflow,”

“I don’t have a choice. Do I?”

“Unless you want Shae to die. I’ll send you the details,”

The gun is lowered, and Nicole immediately storms out.

\---

She makes it to the parking lot before she lets out the scream she’s been holding. It kind of sudden and it overtakes her. She stands there, hands on her knees, head tucked and screams and screams and screams. Because it wasn’t supposed to go like this.

“Nicole!” It’s Wynonna. She’s running toward her. Her gun tucked in her pants now, and eyes big and wide and scared. “What’s wrong? What – “

And without thinking, Nicole punches Wynonna straight in the nose. It’s quick and it’s painful. And Wynonna just stares at her.

“What the actual fuck, Haught?”

“What the actual fuck, Earp?” Nicole shouts back. “What was that in there? You kidnapped me and brought me to a blackmailing drug dealer! God! What the actual fuck? Just because you sold your life to the devil, doesn’t mean you get to drag me down with you!”

“I didn’t know it was going to go down like that! I was down in New York for a job and we saw you race, and he said ‘invite her for a friendly race in Purgatory’ so I left a note. And then, you fucked my sister. And then, we raced. Friendly, normal, little money betting action. And then, he asks to meet you. I said no, but he insists. He threatened, Waves, Haught. I couldn’t just say no. So I can bring you and now all this shit is happening,” Wynonna holds her nose as blood slips through her slender fingers. “I didn’t know it was going to go down like this,” she says softer. “I’m sorry, Nicole,”

“What am I going to do? I’m going to be a drug mule for this fucking asshole?” And Nicole wants to scream again. “What did you get me into?’

“I didn’t get you – “ But Wynonna stops that sentence, because they both know it isn’t fully true. “I’ll go with you. Okay? I’ll bring my guys. We’ll protect you,”

“I don’t want your damn protection! I don’t want to have anything to do with you! You were my _hero_! The badass who had a shitty life but pulled through and made a name for herself! I thought you were awesome! I came here cause I was intrigued and then Waverly told me you gave me the note, and I got excited. But you’re just another asshole, aren’t you?”

“Haught, that isn’t fair!”

“No! Go! Leave me alone!”

“I’m your ride, Haught!”

“You’re my _kidnapper_ ,”

Wynonna stands there. She stands there. And it’s a cold night in Purgatory. The stars are a little hard to see, but they’re shinning down. And there’s a soft amount of snow on the ground. Enough to cause a crunch. And the florescent sign of Pussy Willow’s is creating a sweet glow of yellow and pink that’s shining down on the two as they stand, staring at each, in parking lot. Wynonna stands there, red seeping from her fingers. Nicole stands there, red hair swaying slightly.

“Fine,” Wynonna says. “Fine. Whatever. Fine. Go fuck yourself, Haught,”

“Yeah. Yeah. Go fuck yourself too, Earp,” Nicole snaps bitterly. She marches off. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t care she’s barefoot. She doesn’t care that the snow is speckled in crimson. She doesn’t care that she doesn’t know where she is. She doesn’t care that Wynonna’s car roars to life and suddenly is pulling out of the parking lot and speeding down the street. She doesn’t care that she’s alone.

And Nicole screams again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love and support you guys. It made me feel so much better. You have no idea! Expect daily chapters! It’s my gift to you for being awesome.


	4. Chapter 4

It’s only been thirty minutes, but already it’s nearly morning. There’s a pinkness to the sky and a warmth in the air and there’s a car slowly following Nicole as she walks.

“Nicole,”

She keeps walking.

“Nicole. Come on,”

She keeps walking. She ignores everything. She ignores the burning of her feet. The coldness of tears on her face. She ignores the rawness of her throat. She ignores the crescent shape marks on her palms. She ignores the future, future of moving shipments of drugs around just in exchange for a new car and some cash. She ignores the past, of waking up to Shae, of kissing Shae, of living and loving Shae. She ignores the present, the barefoot in the snow aspects and the being followed. She ignores everything.

“Nicole, you’re going to freeze to death,”

“Leave me alone!” she shouts like a petulant child.

She should have never come to Purgatory. She should have never come here. Curiosity killed the damn cat. Well, curiosity fucking ran Nicole and her spirits over.

“Nicole. I’m not leaving you here!”

“Go! Just leave me alone! I want to be – “

“I heard what happened – Will you stop walking and just talk to me?”

Nicole turns around with a sigh. And she sees her car. Her lovely dark car. Her father’s old car. Her car. And she sees Waverly with her head sticking out the window, her hair in little brown buns, and her lips in a pout.

“That’s my car,”

“You left the keys on the nightstand what was I supposed to do!”

There’s silence. Long and crackling and Nicole wants to run by her feet are on fire and she’s trapped in Waverly’s line of sight. This girl. Irrestiable. Bright. Firey. Waverly’s eyes tell a whole story.

“Nicole,” Waverly finally says, and it breaks Nicole down because she says her name so soft, so lovely. But this isn’t real. This is fleeting. She needs to remember that.

“Waverly,” Nicole stands there, shaking and shivering and stubborn as Hell. “You don’t even know me. Okay? You’re kidding yourself if you do. We slept together twice, raced against each other once, and only had a real discussion when we were both absolutely wasted. You don’t know me. I’m a stranger. We’ve known each other about four days now. And that’s it. So don’t act like you’re here because you care. Okay? You don’t fucking know me. So just go. Leave,”

She starts walking forward again, walking and walking. And Nicole really has no idea why she’s doing this. It would be much easier to just get in the car. That’s her car, after all, that Waverly is driving, but Nicole wants to freeze to death here. Maybe if she freezes to death, Bobo the Fur-Wearing, Drug-Dealing Clown will leave her the fuck alone. Maybe Shae will be alright.

“I heard Bobo wants you to make a shipment!” Waverly shouts out of the car window. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be sorry! Just… Just go!”

“Wynonna doesn’t want me to know, obviously, but I know she’s in deep with him. So is Dolls. A corrupt cop is like Bobo’s wet dream. And Doc has been wrapped in it from the very beginning. And Jeremy got in it because of Doc. Her friends, they’re all in it, but they stick together. They’re a group. They take care of each other, protect each other from him. It’s their way of surviving,”

“Well, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Waverly, but I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want to live by surviving,”

“They want to get out!”

Nicole rolls her eyes and keeps walking. She doesn’t even know what to say to that.

“We can help each other! You don’t want to do this, right? You don’t want to be in Bobo’s pocket. Well, Wynonna doesn’t want to be in his pocket anymore either. We can work together We’re on the same team,”

“Waverly. I really don’t want to be on any team your sister is a part of. Okay?” Nicole keeps walking forward.

“There’s a race in Alberta,”

“Good. I’m glad,”

“Let me finish!” Waverly sighs loudly. “Okay. There’s a race in Alberta in three days, and the grand prize is going to be half a million,”

Nicole slows down slightly. If she was tempted by five thousand, half a million is enough to make her heart skip a beat.

“If you and I go and we win, we take the money and we buy the shipment from the supplier before Bobo,”

“So we’re going to stop dealing drugs by…buying drugs,” Nicole keeps moving. “Brilliant, Waverly. Really. Really good stuff right there,”

“Hey! Wait! I think this could work – If we buy the drugs, we’ll have a huge ass thing that Bobo wants,”

“Yes, I absolutely love it when I take drugs from drug dealers. Gets them all riled up,”

“Can you stop being a sarcastic asshole for just one second? You’re worse than my sister,” Waverly snaps. “We’ll give him the drugs free of charge if he lets us out,”

“And what’s going to stop him from – oh, I don’t know – killing Shae?”

“Who’s Shae?”

“My…” Nicole doesn’t even have the capacity to explain this right now. She feels like she’s going to pass out or scream or kill someone. “My wife,”

“ _You’re married?_ ”

“Yeah,”

“And you slept with me? And you didn’t tell me?” Waverly yelps. “You’re a cheater!”

Nicole cannot believe she’s actually having this conversation right now. It feels impossible and wild and weird. And how the Hell did her life get like this? “It’s not cheating. It’s just…complicated,”

“You should have told me!”

“You should have told me you were an Earp!” Nicole is so tired, of running, of shouting. She turns around. “Shae and I aren’t together anymore. We’re separated, but Bobo is threatening to kill her,”

“Then, we get Shae,”

“We get Shae? What the Hell does that mean?”

“It means get in the car. We’re getting Shae,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you guys predicted this already! I’m a sucker for parrelling the show whenever I can in my fics. So of cource, I couldn’t resist this opportunity when it just fell in my lap. 
> 
> Thanks for the support. I’m really happy to see people sticking to this fic. Especially since I was so afraid people would hate. I read every comment. I check every reblog. I look at every kudos and like and you all mean so much to me. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: non-consensual drug usage

The moment Wynonna saw Nicole’s face as the Chevy Corvette rolled into the homestead’s land, Nicole knew she was dead. Wynonna launched from her spot on the deck and came charging. Her nose was bright purple and had a thin strap along the bridge.

“YOU BITCH!” Wynonna screams.

“Wynonna! Wynonna!” Waverly jumps in front of the two before Nicole could punch or Wynonna could shoot. “Stop! We came here cause we’re a team!”

“A team?” Wynonna scoffs. “Waverly, we’re not some softball team or whatever. Although, I’m sure Nicole would get a kick out of it,”

“Can you shut the fuck up?” Nicole rolls her eyes.

“Both of you! Stop it!” Waverly massages her temple. “Look, I think I have a plan that will help us all get out of this bullshit with Bobo!”

\---

They sit in the homestead living room, and Nicole finds it weird to be here in this house without Waverly ripping her clothes off. She listens to Waverly recall her plan, but it’s really hard to focus being this close to Waverly. When she closes her eyes, she can feel Waverly kissing her neck. She can feel hands roaming. She can feel fingers running through her hair. She can feel Waverly slamming her against the wall and ripping her jacket off. She can feel her own fingers roaming. And – And then, she opens her eyes and she’s surrounded by a bunch of weirdos and Wynonna and Waverly.

There was Dolls sitting on the arm chair, and there was Doc leaning against the wall, and Jeremy was pacing in the background.

“Do you really think we can get out of Bobo’s grip? I mean, like, really get out. Because I’ve wanted to go to college, but Bobo won’t let me leave Purgatory without threatening to kill me. So I’ve being doing online school, but there’s this university I’ve had my eyes on. I think I could really kill it as long as Bobo doesn’t, well, kill me,” Jeremy rambles nervously. His fingers are moving up down his arms, trying to comfort himself.

“First, Nicole is willing to help if we protect Shae,”

“Shae. The person that Bobo has eyes on,” Wynonna repeats. “Who is Nicole’s wife. And also, why do we need Nicole? I don’t need her,”

“We need her, because she’s in the same boat as us, Wynonna. And we all deserve a chance to get out of this. Especially since, you’re the one who got her into this!” Waverly squeaks.

“Because I was threatened to bring her to him!”

“You shouldn’t have done that!”

“I was _forced_ too! I didn’t want this shit and I was going to help but Haughtshit punched me,”

“Not important! What is important is getting Shae away from Bobo,”

“But, Miss Waverly, if we were to say save Miss Shae from Bobo Del Rey, would that not be a red flag to our drug dealing friend that we’re up to something?” Doc points out.

“Yeah. Can’t really be sneaky-sneaky when we’re out there snatching people that Bobo has eyes on,” Wynonna grumbles.

“If I recall,” Nicole says. “You have quite some experience with kidnapping, Wynonna,”

“And you have quite some experience being an asshole and breaking people’s noses!”

“And you have quite some – “

“GUYS!” Waverly interrupts. “STOP IT!”

Nicole sighs and leans deeper in the chair. How the Hell did she get here? She wanted some money. She wanted to be a good racer. And now, she’s here. She’s stuck with an asshole, an asshole’s beautiful sister, and Jeremy who’s – Well, Jeremy actually seemed like a good person. She wasn’t going to bash Jeremy.

“We need to brainstorm. How do we get Shae away from Bobo’s guys?”

“Kidnapping,” Wynonna offers up.

“Of course, you would say that,”

“Fuck you!”

“Guys,” Dolls cuts them off before it can turn into another screaming match. “How about – “

“Jail,” Nicole pipes up. She looks around the room. “Jail. How many corrupt cops does Bobo have in his pocket?”

“A few, but I’m the highest rank,” Dolls says. “They’re all sheriff’s deputies around here. Except for Nedley who’s an actual sheriff,”

“So if we got Shae arrested, you would be in charge?” Nicole asks.

Dolls thinks it over for a moment. “Yeah. Well, if she was arrested while in Purgatory,”

“I’m calling Shae right now,” Nicole says. She jumps up.

“Wait! Nicole!” Waverly yelps. “Maybe, don’t… Maybe don’t do that just yet,”

“What? Why?” Nicole frowns, and she looks into those soft, brown eyes. She looks into those eyes and she sees a thousand different things, but she sees the girl she first met. The snarky, bartender. Not the person helping her to conspire against a drug dealer. This isn’t real. This isn’t real, she has to remind herself. This is fleeting, because her heart is dancing in her chest and Nicole really just wants to take Waverly’s hand and leave all these people in the dust.

“Call her,” Wynonna says. She stands up and places a hand on her sister. It’s a simple touch, but it’s enough to get Waverly to sit back down and shake her head. “Call her, Haught,”

\---

Shae sounds like Shae on the phone. She sounds normal and lovely and sweet and understanding, but there’s no flutter in Nicole’s chest, no vivid memories when she closes her eyes. Because Shae wasn’t real either. Shae was fleeting.

“Can you come down to Purgatory?”

“Nicole, I don’t hear from you for a year and suddenly, out of the blue, you want me to drive three hours to meet you. Are you insane?”

Nicole runs her fingers through her red hair. “Yeah. Look, I need help,”

“I’m going to need more than that, Nicole,” And Shae sounds concerned. And Nicole hates that, because she’s toying with this woman. She is. She’s toying, but she has to. “What’s going on?” Shae says.

Nicole wants to tell her the truth but how could she? How could she say that she’s being blackmailed?

“Are you still street racing, Nic?” Shae asks, filling the silence.

“Yeah,” Nicole says, because she won’t lie about that.

“Nicole, I told you to quit,”

“You know I can’t,” She would say why, but Shae has heard it all over and over again. She’s heard that Nicole loves it, loves the adrenaline, the feeling, the thrill. She’s heard that Nicole needs the money to save up for school, to maintain financial freedom from her over-controlling parents.

“Why are you calling, Nic?”

“I need you,” Nicole says. “Shouldn’t that be enough?” And she hates that she had to say it like _that_. Like they’re still wives and happy and in love. Like there is a chance somewhere in her pauses, her lapses, her punctuation for reconciliation when there isn’t. She hates it because she knows Waverly and Wynonna and their crew all heard it too. The soft way she spoke. The pauses. It feels like a lie, but it isn’t. Not really.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll be there, Nic, but you better not be screwing with me,”

“No. Of course, not,” Nicole says. “Thank you. Call me when you get here,”

Nicole lowers the phone slowly. “Alright,” she clears her throat. “Alright, so how are we going to get my wife arrested?”

\---

Purgatory’s bar Shorty’s seemed like the most appropriate place to set someone up for a crime.

Nicole walks careful down the street in her dark flannel that’s French tucked into her jeans – thanks to the advice from _Queer Eye_ \- and her combat boots are not so dirty. She wonders if Shae will like what’s she wearing. She wonders if Waverly does.

Waverly walks beside her. They haven’t said much. Not really. It’s been tense since… Since Waverly picked Nicole up, barefoot, on the side of the street.

“Here,” Nicole hands a few pills to Waverly. And she hates that she’s doing this, but here she is.

“I know you hate this,” Waverly says and Nicole, for a moment, freaks out internally, because can Waverly read minds? That would make this long-winded walk incredibly embarrassing. “But we have to do this. For her,”

“Yeah,” Nicole agrees. “And for us,”

“ _Us_?” Waverly frowns.

“Well, uh,” Nicole clears her throat, awkwardly. “You know, the whole Earp crew,”

“Oh… Right,” Was it Nicole’s imagination or did Waverly sound disappointed?

“Where’d you get these?” Waverly asks, rotating the small pills around in her hand.

“Dolls. There was some stuff in evidence that he snuck out. It helps to have a corrupt cop around,”

“Oh. Right. Forgot,” Waverly nods. “That makes…sense,”

“Yeah,”

Was it always this awkward between them? Nicole can’t certainly think so. Their interactions have always been… Intense. Quick. Drunken… But, passionate. Hot. This is…lukewarm, at best. 

“Shae and I got married in Vegas,” Nicole brings up. And she knows it’s random and Waverly looks taken aback, but she feels like it needs to be said to make this all less…awkward. “It was right after my parents kicked me out. And I was young and stupid. There was a rock climbing accident, and then marriage, and then we stuck it out for a few months, but… It fizzled. I think I’m just a magnet for short, fleeting relationships. It’s just meaningless sex and then – “ Nicole mimicked an explosion. And it was intended as a joke. She smiled and laughed a little at it despite the truth to her words, but then she looked at Waverly. But Waverly was just staring at her. Waverly’s mouth was parted slightly. Waverly looked sad, confused, distraught. Wavery was just staring.

“Was that what we were?” Waverly asks. She sounds so small. “Short and meaningless?”

“I – “

But Nicole doesn’t have a chance to finish her sentence, because Shae is striding over. And Shae is hugging her. And Shae is playing with her red hair.

“I love your hair cut,”

“Thanks!” Nicole blushes, but when she turns to her left, Waverly is gone. Right. She should have expected that. She bobs her head up and down. She must look like a fish out of water. “Drinks?”

“After the day I had, drinks sound good,”

\---

Nicole and Shae walk to the bar.

“I mean, Paul really said that to me, can you believe?” Shae laughs. She has an arm wrapped around Nicole, and honestly this feels so normal, so _them_ , and normally Nicole would love this. So why did it make her skin itch? Like she was doing something wrong. Like it _was_ wrong.

“Hey, I’ll have a – “ But the words fall flat as the bartender turns around. “Wynonna? Where’s Waverly?”

“Busy. What can I get ya?” Wynonna says. And her tone might be cheery, but her eyes are tearing Nicole limb for limb, and Nicole doesn’t miss it.

“Um, two beers,”

“Coming up,”

“You really got used to it here, huh?” Shae says as they take a seat at the bar. “Why’d you call me here, Nicole?”

“I wanted to see you,”

And Shae laughs and smiles and shakes her head, “Nicole, I’ve known you for a long time. Hell, you’re my wife. I know when you’re lying,”

“I just… I’ve been having a hard time recently,” And she sees Wynonna striding over, holding two mugs of beers. Wynonna places one in front of Shae and pushes it toward her while giving one to Nicole.

“Here are your beers!”

And Nicole takes it and lifts it up. “Cheers!” she says with a strained smile.

“Yeah. Uh, cheers, I guess,” Shae clinks her glass against Nicole’s, and the two longs sip and Nicole prays that Wynonna didn’t switch the glasses.

“Shae, I… I told you to come here, because there are pieces of my life that are falling apart. I feel like I’m losing control again. First, it was my parents. Now, it’s Bobo. And I need to make sure you’re safe before I can continue,”

“Safe? I…” But Shae’s eyes are swirling. “God, I just feel… Really, dizzy…”

“It’s going to be okay. Just close your eyes for a bit. I got you,” Nicole whispers. It’s only when Shae nods and slumps over that tension fills Nicole’s chest. Wynonna runs toward her.

“OH GEEZ! JUST ANOTHER DRUNK!” she shouts on the top of her lungs, but the clientele don’t seem to care much which is another problem all together. Nicole takes Shae’s upper body and Wynonna takes the lower body and they move quickly to the car.

They place in Shae in the back. Wynonna takes the driver seat and Nicole sits beside her and in a second, there off.

“You know how I said I don’t give a flying fuck about you and my sister?”

“Wynonna, we just drugged my wife so we could frame her for a crime. I don’t have time for this shit,”

“Shut up. You have plenty of time, because we have to head out a little ways. And I’m fucking driving so I get to say what we can and can’t do. Now, as I was saying, you know how I don’t care what you and my baby sister do cause you’re both adults?”

“Yes, it was a very – “

“Well, now I do,”

“Are you serious? Do we have to talk about this? Because I would rather bash my brains in,”

“Haught, trust me. I would rather _watch_ you bash your brains in, but we need to talk about this,”

“We don’t need to do anything,” Nicole reminds her, but Wynonna is on a roll and she won’t stop.

“What are you doing with her, huh?”

“We weren’t anything. We were just – “

Wynonna takes a steely breath. “Word of advice, Haught. You might want to keep that sentence to yourself before I pummel you,”

“Uh, right. Sorry. But, really, we weren’t anything. We didn’t talk much,”

“You’re an idiot,” Wynonna rolls her eyes. “Here’s a helpful hint from a Waverly expert to a Waverly novice, figure out what the fuck you’re doing with my sister before you both get hurt. And if you hurt Waverly, I’m going to physically hurt you,”

Nicole slumps back in her chair. “You’re so annoying!”

“Oh shut up! You slept with my sister and you broke my nose!”

“You’re the one who sold me out to a drug dealer!”

“Well, you’re the one who drugged and kidnapped your wife so might want to get off your high horse, Haught,”

Nicole buried her face in her hands. Really? How did she get here?

\---

Wynonna is planting drugs in the back of the car and getting ready to plan the crash. DUI and drugs, Waverly had decided. It was a crime they could easily pull off that would let Dolls pull rank.

“I’m sorry, you know,”

Nicole turns around, eyes wide for a moment. “Come again?”

“I’m fucking sorry, you bitch,”

“Typically when people apologize they don’t swear,”

Wynonna looks like she’s seconds from strangling Nicole, and honestly Nicole doesn’t blame her. She lets out a sigh, running fingers through her sharp red hair.

“If you were in my shoes, if your baby sister was being threatened by a fucking drug-dealing psychopath leader of a gang and you depend on this dude for money and shit, what would you do?” Wynonna says. And she sounds quiet, soft, and very not-Wynonna.

“I don’t know,” Nicole says honestly. “I would like to think that I wouldn’t sell a random girl out, but…” Nicole looks out at the vast land, of the trees, of the flat ground, and the grey mountains. It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful but her mind is only on one thing. Nicole inhales and exhales and plays with her hair pensively. “But… It’s Waverly, and Waverly is… She’s extraordinary,”

Wynonna blinks. And she’s looking at Nicole all funny.

“What? Something I said?” Nicole frowns.

“No. I – “ But Wynonna shakes her head, thinking better of it. “Come on. We have a crime to stage,”

“We’re shitty people, aren’t we?”

“Eh, at least, we have each other,” And Wynonna says it like a joke. She says it like it’s just a passing comment. And Nicole should have scoffed, should have rolled her eyes, and ignored Wynonna’s antics, but there some was something about that sentence that struck a chord in Nicole.

“Right,” she nods. “Yeah,”

\---

Wynonna crashes the car into a tree after Nicole hops out to watch from a safe distance. Apparently, this one of Wynonna’s “specialties”. She got out of the car relatively unscathed except the cut on her cheek and moved to the back of the car. “Help me get Shae in the driver’s seat so we can call the police,”

“Got it,” Nicole nods. And there’s something about framing your wife that makes you question your morals. “Are we doing the right thing?”

“Do you want her to get obliterated by that Macklemore-lookalike? He isn’t kidding around, Haught,”

“Yeah. Okay. It’s just… This feels wrong,”

“I know. It’s all fucking wrong for the fucking wrong but right reasons, but we have to,” Wynonna says. “Terms like right and wrong get blurry when you work under Bobo for a long time. I don’t want you to get there,”

Nicole nods and she might still be pissed that Wynonna fucked up her life, but she’s glad she’s not going through this shitshow by herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is wild. But I was watching the mafia show, Claws, and this girl had to drug her girlfriend to frame her for a DUI even though it broke her heart. I was inspired by that and knew that the only way to get Shae safe would be to put her in jail. So yeah, this wild and ridiculous but I enjoyed writing it. I especially love the apology scene. 
> 
> Don’t drug and frame your wives, kids. Sorry for this wild, stupid, silly ride but I hope you like the angst and the story cause I had fun writing it.


	6. Chapter 6

They get a text that the plan has worked, that Shae has been arrested, that they got this poor, innocent woman arrested when Wynonna, Waverly, and Nicole are halfway toward the race. Being piled in a car with a woman who you’ve slept with and her protective, intimidating big sister is kind of a handful. But Nicole can’t focus on that. She’s actually pretty excited. Because she’ll get to watch Wynonna race today.

Wynonna Earp is one of those people you just don’t forget. She’s incredible. Reckless and spontaneous and a brute.

She might be an asshole, but she was talented. A talented asshole.

“It worked. Shae’s locked up and Dolls just got a call from Bobo to keep an eye on her,” Nicole says reading the message. And she feels the guilt and regret churning in her stomach, but she knows. She knows she had to. She had to keep Shae safe and this was the only way. “We just gotta kick ass at the race and we’ll be golden,”

“Thank God,” Wynonna barks. “The sooner we deal with this, the sooner you’ll be gone,”

“Yeah,” Nicole says roughly. “Thank God,” But if she’s honest, she’s not as excited as she thought she would be. She can’t help but feel like she should miss the city more. Why didn’t she miss the city more?

“All we have to do is win this race, get the prize money, and get the heck out,” Waverly says. “I’ll set up with a meeting with the dealer and we’ll get those drugs before – Well, when was Bobo wanting you to go out?”

“This Friday,” It’s four days from now. That’s what the messages that littered phone said. Messages that made her want to smash her phone and get drunk. Nicole fingers nervously brush along her arm rest. “You guys at all worried about what will happen if we _don’t_ win?”

“Don’t be such a negative Nancy!”

“I can’t help it,” Nicole snaps. “If we screw this up, I’m going to be a drug mule. How did you guys get even roped into this life? I thought you were just…racers,”

“We were, at first,” Wynonna says. And she doesn’t sound the same. She’s all bark, not bite. She sighs miserably and tightens her grip on the steering wheel. “Let’s just say the short and not-sweet version to spare us the years of neglect and pain and torment. I was an idiot,”

“And the longer version?”

“You’re so fucking obnoxious, you know that?” Wynonna snorts.

“Well, I’m sorry if I’m a little curious how the person who got me trapped in this shitty situation got trapped herself!”

“Guys!” Waverly scolds them.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Well, yeah. That’s why I fucking asked,”

“You know what – “ Wynonna steps on the breaks abruptly and Nicole’s head flies into the seat in front of her. Nicole felt pain flare up in her face. She let out a strangled yelp.

“WYNONNA!” Waverly yells. “KNOCK IT OFF!” She gives Nicole an apologetic look, but Nicole’s relatively fine. Except for her throbbing nose.

“You’re such a dickhead,” Nicole scowls.

“Our story begins long, long ago,” Wynonna starts, ignoring her and her cry of pain. “Waverly and I came from a dad and a mom,”

“I would assume,” Nicole mutters, nose throbbing still, but Wynonna ignores her.

“Mom was nice. Sweet. Then, she left. Dad was drunk. Not so sweet. He stayed. Dad was mean. We were tough. And then, he got meaner and drunker. And then, I killed him,”

Nicole stops breathing for a second. “What?”

“I was institutionalized and – “

“Are we just going to skip over the part where you killed your father?”

“Yes. Yes, we are. And when I got out, Waverly was being raised by our aunt. And we have no money to our name. So what does a poor kid with hair like a horse do to get money? Any guesses?”

“Sells drugs?”

“No, that’s later. Any other guesses?”

“Stripping,” Waverly says, but she isn’t so amused. She knows how this story ends.

“Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Yup. But who happens to own Purgatory’s very own strip club? Ah, right. The biggest asshat in all the land, Bobo Del Rey. And he offers me a job and in exchange, he’ll pay for a set of wheels and give me money so I can drive my baby sister about. But what does a kid with a love for cars, who’s an adrenaline junkie, who has no regards for safety, a death wish, do to get money?”

“Street race,” Nicole says.

“Ten points to Gryphoo!”

“It’s Gryffindor,” Waverly corrects, holding herself tighter. But Wynonna just shrugs.

“So Bobo realizes he’s got himself a real nice multiple-trick pony so he pumps more cash for more jobs and this trick pony is a slut for a big paycheck, but then one day, the pony decides she can’t live this life anymore. Bringing drugs across the border and all the fucking round is exhausting, tiring, and illegal and the pony – “

“Can you stop referring to yourself as a pony?” Nicole frowns.

“Can you stop and let me tell my tragic backstory?”

“Anyways, so I confront, and I try to get out, because I don’t need him anymore. I like street racing. I make good money just doing that. I don’t need the drug stuff. But guess what? He doesn’t let me out. Cause he’s a fucking asshole. He threatens my sister and says he’ll kill her if I stop,” Wynonna lets out a loud groan. “I can’t wait to be free of that, shit ticket,”

“You and me both,”

“Thanks for…you know…telling me,” Nicole says.

“Well, you didn’t give me much of a choice,”

Nicole decides to say nothing else. She just sinks in the back seat and wishes she could blink and have this awkward trip be over with.

\---

If Nicole thought the crowd in Purgatory was big… Well, this one was a _lot_. There was music. Thick smoke running through the air. There was people all around, drinking, dancing, doing drug. There were tight clothes and slicked back hair and people who smiled when their eyes landed on Nicole and people who gave Waverly seductive looks (which Nicole did not appreciate).

Nicole places a hand quickly on Waverly and steers her away.

“What are you – “

“We should sign your sister up,”

“No,”

But it isn’t Waverly who spoke. It’s Wynonna. Wynonna is standing there, looking right at home. “I’m not racing, Haughtshot. You are,” She tosses the keys and Nicole instinctively catches them.

“You’re shitting me?”

“I’m not. I know you think I’m an asshole,”

“You are,”

“And I know you know that I think you’re an asshole,”

“There was probably a better way to word that…”

“But, at the end of the day, I invited you to Purgatory because you weren’t absolute shit,”

Nicole rolls her eyes. “Gee, thanks,”

“Can you – Is she always like this?” Wynonna asks, but Waverly just shrugs. “Can you stop with the sarcasm, Haught? I’m trying to compliment you. Okay? I noticed you out of all the others, because, yeah, you didn’t win. But you weren’t cocky. You weren’t a total jerk. And I think you have potential so I’m giving you my car and you’re going to race,”

“I’ve never raced here before,”

“Then, my baby sister will be in the car with you,” Wynonna leans forward and pats Waverly. And Waverly looks like a deer in headlights. “Go. Have fun. Win the damn thing so we can get out drugs,”

“Again, probably a better way to word that…”

“And if you fuck up, you have absolutely no one else to blame but yourself! So, have fun, kids,” Wynonna backs up. “Momma is gonna go get wasted with some frat boys!” She disappears into the crowd, and Nicole is left holding the keys with her mouth, dangling open.

“Well,” Waverly squeaks. “Let’s get you signed up, shall we?”

\---

“Is it weird that I’m scared? I race all the time. I never get nervous, but…”

“It’s okay to be scared,” Waverly says as they approach the sign-in station which is just a rich looking bastard enjoying himself and the chaos he, no doubt, instigated by creating and funding this race. “I think it’s cute,”

“Really?” Nicole says, and she can’t help but blush. She was about to say more, but the rich, suave bastard is standing up from his table as Waverly scribbles Nicole’s name down.

“I think you’re pretty cute too, baby,” he says. And everything in Nicole is telling her to punch this guy.

“Oh. Sorry, I was talking to my friend,” Waverly says with a nervous laugh. And Nicole hates this. She hates this guy. She hates that she was just introduced to this guy as “the friend”. They had sex. Does no one remember they had sex? Sure, they haven’t had sex or anything at all since, well, since Waverly’s sister got Nicole to be a drug mule, but _they had sex_.

“You a racer?” the man asks.

“No. Well, yes. Only when my sister hosts a small race among her and her friends. But things like this? No. No,” Waverly says and she’s tucking her brown hair behind her ear, and Nicole wants to scream.

“That’s cool. I find girls who race ridiculous hot,”

Nicole’s face was cherry red. And before she knew what exactly she was doing, she placed a hand on Waves’ shoulder. “Yeah. Me too. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a race to go to,”

“Oh,” the man sits down, and Nicole takes Waverly’s hand and leads her out. It’s only when they get a few paces ahead that Waverly rips her hand from Nicole’s grip.

“What the Hell, Nic? I was talking to him,”

“Yeah, well, we _do_ have a race, you know,”

“What? It starts in two hours and – Are you jealous? You’re jealous,” Waverly starts to laugh.

And Nicole’s face could not get any redder. “I’m not! I’m not!”

“Oh my God! You’re the one who said we were strangers to each other!”

“Yeah, well, he’s more stranger-y than me!”

“That makes no sense!” And Waverly is laughing again. And Nicole normally would too. If she was anyone else watching this horrible situation unfold, she’d probably laugh. Because she was being ridiculous and stupid and petty and jealous. But she couldn’t laugh. Because she was busy being ridiculous and stupid and petty and jealous.

“We had sex!” Nicole blurts out. She swears she can hear the sound of the shovel hitting the dirt, as she digs herself deeper and deeper.

“Oh my God, Nicole!” Now Waverly’s face is red too.

“What? We had sex! Twice! Did you have sex with him?”

“What? No!”

“See! I’m less stranger-y than him!”

“Well, you’re certainly strange,” Waverly snaps. “God, why are you being like this? You’re the one who said our sex was meaningless!”

“It wasn’t! Okay? It wasn’t!” Nicole shouts. And suddenly, she feels like she’s out of breath. Suddenly, she feels exhausted. She feels tired. She feels drained. The anger is dissipating. And she’s left with humiliation. The stubbornness is gone, and she’s left with regret. She sighs loudly, burying her face in her hands as she groans into her palms. How did she get here? She drops her hand, and Waverly is staring at her, mouth agape, and eyes wide.

“Sorry,” Nicole says. But she isn’t shouting this time. She isn’t being crazy. Or petty and jealous. She sounds worn-out. “Sorry. I’m being dramatic and stupid… I’m sorry. I’m going to – “

“Nicole, wait!”

“No. No, it’s fine. Go enjoy, Mr. Whatever-The-Hell-His-Name-Was,” Nicole says.

“Nicole!”

But she walks forward. She keeps walking. And she doesn’t stop until she loses Waverly in the crowds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a sucker for jealous Nicole and Nicole-being-a-stupid-idiot-cause-she’s-a-gay-mess. 
> 
> HMU at gayywords. I need some wayhaught prompts!


	7. Chapter 7

Nicole finds a sort of comfort, sitting alone in Wynonna’s car with the engine off, chaos all around, but a quietness, a stillness, that impenetrable within the vehicle. She likes the idea that at any moment she could take off, leave this whole world behind with a new car. Sure, Shae would be killed, Wynonna and her crew would still be under Bobo’s control, and Nicole would be hunted down her entire life – Okay, never mind. Running away was a bad plan, but still. Sitting there, enjoying the muffled noises, it was nice.

Nicole felt stupid though. She was a jealous ass even though she hadn’t done anything to tell Waverly that maybe the sex wasn’t as fleeting as she thought it was. It was just… It shouldn’t have been real. It should have been fleeting, a one-night-stand, a meaningless sexual encounter, because how on Earth could someone like Waverly fucking Earp have feelings for Nicole I-walk-barefoot-in-snow and I-have-a-complicated-relationship-with-your-sister Haught. It just didn’t seem feasible.

Maybe she should have communicated it better that it wasn’t as meaningless as she once thought, but how on Earth could Waverly Earp ever, ever like someone like Nicole Haught? It seemed impossible. And the impossible seemed pointless.

But no matter how much Nicole might have _thought_ it was fleeting. She hadn’t stopped thinking about Waverly. Even when she was being stubborn. Even as she sat down for conspiring. Even when she saw and talked with Shae. It was just Waverly, Waverly, Waverly.

She shouldn’t have gotten jealous. Waverly Earp doesn’t belong to her. She doesn’t belong to anyone. It didn’t matter whether Nicole thought it was fleeting or not, whether Nicole had feelings or not, whether they were a meaningless encounter, or this was the start of something. None of it mattered. What mattered was what Waverly thought.

Did Waverly want it to be meaningless? Did she want it to be meaningful? Did she like Nicole? Had Nicole screwed everything up by being a jealous, stubborn idiot?

God. Nicole is suddenly struck by how _high school_ this all seems. Although, if this was high school, Nicole would just never talk to Waverly ever again, watch her from afar, and plan their marriage out in her head without ever having a conversation with her.

Marriage. Nicole frowns. That was a little _much_.

Nicole run her fingers along the steering wheel. She couldn’t stop thinking about Waverly. She was hopeless.

The door suddenly opens, noise fills the car, and then it shuts and there is quiet again.

“You shouldn’t have run from me,” Waverly says with a sigh.

“How’d you know where I’d be?”

“Couldn’t exactly picture you drinking before a race,” Waverly says. “You didn’t drink, right?”

“What? No. I’m not an idiot,”

“Good,”

There’s silence again and Nicole is grateful for it.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole says, because she feels like it’s the only thing she can say right now. “I’m sorry,”

“I don’t belong to you,”

“I know that. I didn’t mean for it to – “

“And you can’t control me just because we had sex,”

“I really didn’t mean to – “

“And you need to stop fighting with my sister,”

“See, that one is actually going to be a little difficult, because, well, your sister is annoying,”

“Nicole,”

“Fine. I’ll try,”

“Good,” Waverly smiles. “Because the sex wasn’t meaningless for me too,”

“It wasn’t?”

“It wasn’t,” Waverly confirms. “And for a long time, all I’ve really wanted to do is…do this,” She leans forward and she kisses Nicole, and Nicole feels like she’s soaring, like she’s going two-hundred on a highway, like she’s flying. Waverly pulls her closer, pulling on her jacket. And their kissing. And fingers are tangling with red hair, with brown hair. Hands are roaming. And Nicole feels fingers go for her jean buttons and –

“Wait,” Nicole says breathlessly. “Wait. Wait. We are surrounded by hundreds of people,” And it isn’t an exaggeration because there are people all over, pressed against the car, some peering in and grinning at them. There are drunken idiots. There are car enthusiasts. They are everywhere and they all can see them.

“Oh,” Waverly says and then she laughs. “Sorry. Got carried away,”

“No. No. Me too. I totally got…” Nicole tries to regain her train of thought, but Waverly looks so –

“Nicole?”

“Hm?”

“My eyes. They are up here,”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Nicole clears her throat. “Right. Just. Right,”

And Waverly laughs again and its softer, warmer. And Nicole laughs too.

\---

The race is going to start soon. The time is nearly upon them. There are four cars lined against theirs, and the crowds have parted, sticking to the sides of the street instead of staying nearby.

“This is really stupid,” Nicole says. “I shouldn’t be here. Wynonna should be here. I shouldn’t – “

“You’re going to do fine,”

“But if I screw this up, we’re all screwed,”

“There will be another way for us to get the drugs,”

Nicole nods. She can’t believe that someone saying a sentence like that would actually be considered comforting. She can’t believe how off the tracks her life has gotten. She takes a deep breath.

“If I lose – “

“You won’t. Stop it. You’re a negative Nancy,”

“If I lose, will you make sure Wynonna doesn’t murder me in a Walmart parking lot?”

“That’s pretty specific, Nicole,”

“Or any parking lot. But I have a feeling it’ll go down in a Walmart parking lot,” Nicole says a little too quickly.

“Yes, I will make sure you won’t get murdered,”

“Thank you,”

“You’re welcome,” Waverly laughs. “You’re going to do fine, because, well, you have me, and I’m the best,”

“Then, maybe you should drive?”

“Wynonna gave you the keys,” Waverly reminds her. “It’s up to you. We believe in you,”

“Well, that’s dumb,” Nicole grumbles, but she keeps her hands on the steering wheel, her foot on the gas, and everyone begins to rev their engines. She sees the flagger girl stride forward and –

“Is that _Wynonna_?” Waverly yelps.

It is. Wynonna, holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and the flag in the other walks forward. Nicole was pretty sure there was supposed to be two flags, but, well, Wynonna only has two hands so one had been discarded. She walks forward, staggering slightly. First, she raises the bottle. Then, she raises the flag.

“You ready?” Waverly whispers.

“I think so. You?”

Waverly nods.

Suddenly, the whiskey and the flag are down. The cars are speed forward, and Nicole presses her foot, hard, on the gas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally these crazy kids are getting somewhere 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some homophobic slurs are used in this chapter.

“OKAY! YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO TAKE A RIGHT!”

“HARD RIGHT!”

“YOU’RE GOING TO BE REACHING THE BUSIEST PART IN THE CITY!”

Nicole’s deadly quiet as she drives. She can hear the roaring the engine. She can see the cars in her rearview and the car ahead of her. Just one car. One damn car who is about to take her half a million. Take her freedom. She can hear Waverly shouting hints and directions as she holds the map.

“We’re never going to pass this guy – “

“Shortcut! SHORTCUT! TAKE A LEFT HERE!”

Nicole jerks the steering wheel hard to the left and the tail of the car goes right and the tires squeak, but they are off, cutting through a one-way street and hoping no cars come barreling toward them.

“RIGHT!”

Nicole turns right. There are neon signs all around and people gasping and shouting and watching and the signs of the police sirens in the background.

“LEFT! AND – STRAIGHT! STRAIGHT!”

Nicole guns it. She’s so close. She’s so close to passing this guy. Teeth gritted. She stares at the blank car as their neck and neck roaring down a two-lane street.

“TAKE A RIGHT!”

“BUT HE’S GOING STRAIGHT, WAVES!”

“TRUST ME!”

Nicole turns right, hard, and –

“LEFT!”

“WAVES, YOU BETTER BE RIGHT ABOUT THIS!”

“JUST TRUST ME AND – LEFT! LEFT!”

Nicole turns left and she wants to laugh and she wants to cry and scream and laugh but mainly cry. Because that damn black car is behind her and Nicole is laughing and crying and they’re going to be free. They’re going to be –

The front of the end of the car slams into their bumps, and Nicole and Waverly launch forward at the impact.

“SHIT! SHIT!”

“COME ON! COME ON!”

“IT’S RIGHT THERE! WE’RE ALMOST THERE!”

And there’s blood running down Waverly’s shirt from hitting her nose on the impact. And sweat is running down Nicole’s back. And her fingers hurt from gripping the steering wheel so hard. And she hates this and she loves this and she loves this and she hates this and –

They did it. Holy fucking God. They did it. They did it. They keep going. Even though they past the finish line, and Nicole spin the car around and puts it in park and the black car parks beside her. And Nicole laughs as she sees the crowds running toward them, to congrulate them, to drink with them. And Nicole can see Wynonna. And Waverly is grabbing her head and kissing her and their kissing and –

_BANG!_

“Out of the car, dyke,”

Nicole freezes. “Waverly,” she says in the softest voice possible. “You stay in the car, okay?”

“What? You’re not actually going to – “

And they feel something hit the car as a loud _BANG_ rings out.

“Waverly,” Nicole says. “I’m not letting this asshole wreck Wynonna’s car while I stay inside and make out with her sister,”

“Nicole – “

Nicole swings the door open and steps out. And she wishes she felt brave. She feels like people in the movies and those TV shows, they would feel brave. Hot off a big win, staring into the eyes of a homophobe, they would feel big and proud and perfect and confident. But Nicole just feels small.

“Stop touching my fucking car,” she growls. And she isn’t as intimidating as she wishes she was, because the two boys are laughing at her. Fucking laughing.

“What are you going to do?”

And Nicole head hurts from hitting her head in the car with Wynonna and the impact during the race as her face collided briefly but sharply with the steering wheel. But she doesn’t care that she’s slightly dizzy from both the impact and mind-blowing kiss with Waverly. She doesn’t care that she feels small. She has adrenaline and anger, that’s about all she needs right now.

“You don’t want to find out,” she says lowly. “So, I suggest you walk away, accept your second-place prize and get the fuck out of my face,”

\---

They hit Nicole first. It’s sharp and it fills her mouth with a strange, metallic taste. And she bangs her head on the metal of the car as she crumbles. They hit Nicole again with a swift kick to the ribs. But by now, there’s a crowd surrounding them. There are people shouting. There are people asking for them to stop, but no one helps as another swift kick comes and Nicole sees black for a moment as she presses her body against the pavement.

She stands up. Her arms are shaking. And she can hear Waverly. She can see Waverly trying to get to her out of the corner of her eye, but the crowds won’t let her. It’s too dense, too packed, and the people in front row have made a wall of human bodies, a wall for this fight club. But someone does rip through the crowd, smelling of whiskey and anger.

“DON’T TOUCH MY FRIEND!”

“Since when are we friends?” Nicole rasps. The corner of her lips as quirked up, so Wynonna knows she’s just teasing around, but Wynonna doesn’t see her. She doesn’t care. Wynonna just as her eyes glaring at the two men as she marches forward.

“Since I decided to save your ass from some sore losers,” Wynonna says. “HEY! YOU TWO BACK AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!”

“Oh, look, another dyke, about to – “

“HEY! HEY!” Wynonna interjects loudly. “ONLY I CAN MAKE THE GAY JOKES AROUND HERE!”

And then chaos breaks out.

\---

Nicole doesn’t really remember exactly what happened. She knows Wynonna tackled one of the guys to the ground. She knows she could hear Waverly screaming among the crowd. She knows she was blocking punches from this man despite her swollen eye and swollen ribs. And then, they heard police sirens.

It was like a switch went off in everyone’s heads. Everyone took off in an instant. The crowd became a stampede, running as fast as they can. Even the two homophobes look like deer in headlight before they scamper off. One of them limping.

“What did you do his leg?”

“Bit him,” Wynonna shrugs. “Now, get in the car, kids. Momma is gonna get us out of here,”

“Please don’t refer yourself as Momma,”

“Shut the fuck up, Haught,”

\---

Nicole drives them out of the city with a heavy foot on the gas pedal, a disregard for red lights and stop signs, and a nervous Waverly in the passenger’s seat anxiously rambling.

“Do you think they saw us?”

“No. No. I don’t think so,” Nicole says. And then it suddenly hits her. Oh no. “Shit, ‘Nonna. We got to go back – “

“Did you just _nickname_ me? We’re not there yet, Haughdog,”

“The money, Wynonna! We didn’t collect – “

“Relax! Momma’s got ya,” Wynonna says and she shakes around an envelope in her hand. “One bigass, beautiful, bodacious check made out to our favorite and only redhead in Purgatory,”

“Oh thank God,” Nicole slams her head back and lets out a laugh of relief. They did it. They did it.

“Nicole, you should really ice your face,” Waverly finally says. And Nicole feels a hand slide against hers as it rests on the steering wheel. And she feels the same hand begin to trace out the marks on her face. She winces as Waverly presses a little on the bruise, but when she checks quickly, Waverly has this sweet look on her face.

“That bad, huh?”

“Well, I think it’s hot but – “

“ _Ahem_ ,” Wynonna clears her throat loudly. “No flirting in the car or I shoot Haughtie. Sorry. I don’t make the rules,”

Nicole shares a secret smile with Waverly before the younger girl nods and returns her gaze to the front windshield.

“We’re almost out, babygirl,” Wynonna says, poking her head out in between the driver and passenger’s seat. “I can taste it,”

“What’s it taste like?” Waverly asks.

“Hm. Well, freedom, fear, and a little like whiskey,”

“Sounds good,” Waverly says, and she smiles. “Sounds really good,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient, y’all. 3x02 just wrecked me so I wasnt able to fully keep up with all my works, but I’m doing a lot better now! How are you guys fairing?


	9. Chapter 9

Nicole wakes up and she doesn’t even register she’s in the homestead. No. Not until, she hears the soft snoring beside her from a very naked Waverly. At first, she thinks she’s home. It’s the first thought that comes to her as her eyes stay on the grey of the ceiling. And, then she looks to her left and sees Waverly, hair tousled after sleep and their…other activities. And the feeling of home, the comfort of it, surprisingly doesn’t leave.

Nicole jumps up quickly though, because there is so much to do today. And by so much, Nicole’s mind went to the drug shipment that she had to intercept, but suddenly she feels Waverly grabbing at her shoulder, holding her tight.

“Wynonna and the boys went already,” Waverly says. “’Nonna woke me up to let me know,”

“Shit. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Cause I wanted to wake up and see you,” Waverly smiles, unashamed. She drops back down into the bed. Hair flying everywhere, and Nicole follows her lead and flops back down, bouncing slightly, and sinking into the fluffy pillows.

“What time is it?” Waverly says, stifling a yawn.

“It’s…” Nicole leans over her and checks the clock. “Holy… It’s three in the afternoon. How did we sleep so long?”

“Well, in our defense, we were up pretty late last night,” And Waverly’s eyebrows are waggling, and Nicole can’t help but laugh. Waverly laughs too. “You know,” she starts. “I’m really glad we got to do that again,”

Nicole hums in agreement. Last night keeps replaying in her head.

They had stumbled into the house incredibly late. Wynonna had drunken herself into a stupor in the backseat so she passed out on the couch the moment she fell onto it.

“It’s just us,” Waverly had said.

“Yup. Just us,”

“If I recall,” Waverly tapped her fingers along her chin. “I think we were going to do something but we were rudely interrupted,”

“Hm…” Nicole pretended to think it over even though her cheeks were betraying her. “Now that you say that, I also recall similar events,”

Waverly laughed. Sweet, melodious laugh that just warmed Nicole’s heart. She leaned forward, her lips inches from Nicole’s, and then she had said, “And just to clarify – meaningful or meaningless?”

Nicole smiled into the kiss. And, then she kept kissing Waverly, passionate and desperate, and Waverly giggled slightly.

“Okay. That answers my question,”

But waking up to Waverly. Brown hair spread on the bedsheets. The warm glow of the afternoon sun shinning on their bare bodies. This was meaningful, Nicole thinks contently. This was something she would commit to memory. The feeling of Waverly’s fingers playing with her red hair, laying down next to someone, feeling their heartbeat. Everything… This was meaningful.

Nicole launches upward suddenly, the memories of the last night fading, and Waverly is sitting up too looking confused.

“Waverly,”

“Nicole,”

“Go on a date with me,”

Waverly laughs because Nicole’s face is so urgent, so excited. And Nicole knows it but she doesn’t care.

“Okay,” Waverly says with the biggest, million-dollar smile. “But are you sure? I live a pretty dangerous lifestyle. I don’t know if you want to get involved with me,” she says in a mock serious tone.

“I think I can manage,” Nicole says and she kisses Waverly softly. Their lips briefly pressing against each other before Nicole breaks the kiss with a grin. “Coffee?”

“Coffee sounds good,”

\---

Nicole sits down across from Waverly in a tiny little coffee shop smack dab in Purgatory. It’s a cute and quiet place, and indie music is being played through the speakers, and the smell of coffee is warming and rebooting Nicole’s system, and she feels good. She feels good, because Waverly is sitting across from her in a Shorty’s crop top and ripped up jeans and this cute, lovely smile.

“I’m surprised we didn’t go to Shorty’s,”

“Well, they don’t sell cappuccinos, Nicole,”

“Yeah, but it seems to be like our place. You know?”

“Our place. We don’t have a place. We’ve known each other for a week,”

“I’d like to think we have a place. And that place is Shorty’s,” Nicole grins. “It’s where we met!”

Waverly laughs at that, laugh at how eager Nicole sounds. And Nicole can’t help but feel happy. She had forced herself to think this was fleeting. She had to constantly remind herself to shut the feelings down, but it was hard to now. They were bubbling to the surface, popping and exploding and filling Nicole all over. She felt cheesey and romantic. She felt like she was in one of those cute indie films and she was falling in love in Paris. Well, if Paris was in a shitty, Wild West vibe, tiny town in Canada.

“I’m going to say something that’s going to ruin the mood,” Waverly announces.

“Oh, man. Then, don’t say it. Please don’t say it. I can only handle your sister in small doses and – “

“It’s not Wynonna,”

“What?”

“It’s Shae,”

Nicole lowers her spoon.

“Right,” Waverly nods. She’s nervously playing with the sugar packets. And it’s kind of adorable. “Bringing up on the ex on a date is never a good idea,” She takes a deep breath and places the packets back in their pile. “I was wondering how she’s doing,”

“Still in jail. Dolls is gonna get all the charges dropped so her life isn’t ruined,” Nicole says. She can feel the guilt. It’s suffocating. It’s coiling around her throat and choking the happy, floating feeling right out. “She hasn’t called. Not that I expected her to, because I drugged her and framed her and shit. But,” Nicole just shrugs.

“Okay. I was just… I wanted to know,”

“It’s over, Waves. It has been for a long time,” Nicole says. “And after this, a divorce is probably coming,”

“Why didn’t you get a divorce sooner if it has been over so long?” And Waverly flinches. “Sorry. Sorry. I’m nosey. I know. I just don’t like being the other woman, you know? The mistress,”

“You aren’t a mistress,” Nicole says and she can’t help the little laugh that escapes her chest. “It’s just…” She tries to think about how she’s going to say this. Should she even say this?

“Come on. You know Wynonna and mine’s tragic backstory. Don’t I get to know about your failed marriage?”

“Fair point,” Nicole inhales sharply. “Okay. So to preface this, I’m gay,”

Waverly gasps dramatically and slams her hands on the table. “Nicole! How dare you!” she shouts out with mock seriousness, and Nicole laughs. Waverly kind of reminds her of Wynonna when she’s all silly like this. It’s nice.

“It’s important to the story!” Nicole insists. “Okay,” She takes a deep breath, trying to recover her thoughts. “So, I’m gay and mom and dad didn’t like that,”

“Homophobic assholes?”

“Yup. They kicked me out and I had no one. So, one day, I’m drunk, young, stupid, and there’s a pretty girl giving me attention and I don’t know. My lesbian brain just says ‘Fuck it. Marry her’. So I do. But well, like I said before. I’m a magnet for shitty, short relationships that just burn too quick. And Shae and I burned real fast. I think I was a week living with her, and I just was thinking about ways to get out. Things just didn’t work. We didn’t work. She didn’t like me racing and rock climbing and being ‘reckless’. And I didn’t like not being a priority. So we called it quits, but it was hard. Because a divorce would mean the end. You know? Last chapter. And I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t ready for the one person who actually cared about me to just be gone. And I think Shae felt the same way,”

“I know before you said we’re strangers – “ Waverly starts.

“I was being stubborn and mean and I was angry at your sister – “

“But I do care about you, Nicole,” Waverly says. “I like you,”

“I care about you too, Waves. I like you a lot,” Nicole smiles. She looks around. “So what else do people do around here for romantic fun?”

“Walk in park? Drinking at Shorty’s?” Waverly says. She thinks about it for a long moment and then laughs nervously. “But, how about we just go to the homestead?”

Nicole hums in agreement. She sticks her hand out. “Come on. How about a walk to the homestead?”

“Romantic,” Waverly nods vigorously with a ghost of a smile on her lips.

\---

They reach the homestead, and hands are roaming everywhere, and Waverly is kissing Nicole’s neck, but Waverly presses a hand against Nicole’s chest and the two are separated.

“I’m going to make us lunch before we skip to the…desert,” Her eyebrows wiggle at the innuendo. She heads to the kitchen but stops quickly. “Nicole?

“Yes?”

“Can you head upstairs and get my phone for me pretty please? I just want to know if Wynonna and the boys got the shipment,” Waverly asks with her hands cupped together and this biggest puppy pout on her face.

“Sure,” Nicole grins. She leans forward and presses a kiss on Waverly’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, baby,” And the nickname just slips out, but it feels so right.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting,” Waverly smiles warmly.

\---

Nicole rushes up the stairs. The phone is right on the nightstand. She picks it up and heads back down.

“Waves, you seemed to have missed a call from – “ But there was no one there. There was no one there. “Waverly?” Nicole whispers, looking around. But the door is wide open and there’s droplets of blood on the floor, and it takes everything in Nicole’s ability to not throw up on the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is continuing with this story. I know updates have been slow, but I love this story and put a lot of work into it so I'm very grateful for everyone who is sticking with it and continuing to read. Thank you. Come and chat with me at gayywords on Tumblr.


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